For the quarter ended March 2026, Norfolk Southern (NSC) reported revenue of $3 billion, up 0.2% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $2.65, compared to $2.69 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue represents a surprise of +0.25% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.99 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $2.51, the EPS surprise was +5.45%.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.
Here is how Norfolk Southern performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Railway Operating Ratio: 70.7% versus the three-analyst average estimate of 69.8%. Revenue ton miles: 45.3 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of 45.23 billion. Carloads (Units) - Volume - Merchandise: 557.8 thousand versus the two-analyst average estimate of 558.02 thousand. Carloads (Units) - Volume - Intermodal: 980.6 thousand versus 982.46 thousand estimated by two analysts on average. Revenue per Carload (Unit) - Total: $1,746.00 versus $1,745.67 estimated by two analysts on average. Railway operating revenues- Merchandise- Agriculture, forest and consumer products: $625 million compared to the $632.46 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -1.7% year over year. Railway operating revenues- Coal: $364 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $375.18 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -1.6%. Railway operating revenues- Merchandise- Chemicals: $567 million compared to the $552.34 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +6% year over year. Railway operating revenues- Intermodal: $749 million versus $719.41 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -1.5% change. Railway operating revenues- Merchandise- Automotive: $280 million compared to the $295 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +0.7% year over year. Railway operating revenues- Merchandise: $1.89 billion compared to the $1.91 billion average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +1.2% year over year. Railway operating revenues- Merchandise- Metals and construction: $413 million compared to the $432.83 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -0.2% year over year.View all Key Company Metrics for Norfolk Southern here>>>
Shares of Norfolk Southern have returned +13.5% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +8.1% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).